compton



Aug. 14, 1945.

N. A. CUMPTON RIDGE COUNTER APPLIANCE- Filed Sept. 15. 1943 NOEWANACONPTON Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNIT-ED STATES PATENT wOFFlCE A RIDGE-TCOUNTER arms-Anon 1 'NormanAlCOmpton', SuitlanGQMdLw1 I k LAppIi cationJSeptember 15, 1943, -SerialNd 5025520 I t'olaim. 011126-34) This invention relates to a ridge counter appliance, and it is primarily anobject of the invention to provide an appliance of i this kind to 'facilitate the work in 'connection with the finger- :print classification.

At the present time-in connection with fingerprint classification it is the general practice of the classifier "to use=a pencil or other writing implement and also a rsep'arate instrument known as a ridge counter. "The writing implement and the counterra're entirelyseparate andin thework :ofrclassification it is ire'qu'ired that either the writing implement 01 "the 159011111791" .be gpickedwu and set down with great frequency which often results .in annoyance and iinconvenience to the classifier. Furthermorminmiew of these :many separate and frequent operations of picking up and setting :down the' writing :impl'ement'sand the "counter; ithe acl'assifier zwill ineglect rto iuse' the ridge counter :butwill employ thejpoint 'of the writing implement in llieu t'hiereof and-which is liable :to reduce the standard pf the ,reading.

Another robject of the invention is to provide 'an appliance which will substantially eliminate "these'disadvantages. i a

A further object 'of "the invention vis to provide a ridge counter appliance which-is carried by the writing) implement, thus assuring the classifier :having readily available both 'of the instruments for immediate use as :required.

The 'il'lVBIlliiOIliCflIlSiSliS in the details "of 0011- struction and in the combination and arrangement of the :several parts of :my (improved ridge counter appliance -whereby:certain important advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more 'fully set forth. r a a In order that my ,zinventionlrnay be better understood I willrnow proceedtodescribe the same partly :inzs'ectionrof the device;

appliance is such "that thecsame 'may "be readily retracted along the :penciliP :as the :pencil shortens in length as =theresult'of:sharpenings'but tial1y:a.-'fiXed:position; -As herein-disclosed; the'appliance A includes anvelongated body {I of 'metal or other :preferred "material and of srequired'dimensions. The body l is provided at its extremities with the transversely spaced spring clips -2 'rWl'llCh are :'adapted to straddle the implement I'P when the attachment is applied thereto and to have sufficient frictionalwcontact with the implement P to hold the body I normally inaa substantially fixed position yet permitting the body -I :to 'be shifted along the implement P when the requirements ofpractice necessitate. i v

. Therforward portionofrthe'body l..is provided with a bore -3-open at thelfront and having its rear end openend in communication with the longitudinally disposed..'sl0t 4, .the rear vend lof Figure-4iis a viewsimilarto :Figurei3 butshow tionzand partly inielevation illustrating"aislightly y,

modified iform of the invention..-

As illustrated .in rthe :accompanying drawing, P "cleno't'es a conventional Writing implement,

such as a pencil, and upon which the improved appliance A is mounted. As illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the mounting of said ,The ridge counter Ccomprises an elongated strandof materiaLsuchQas steel wire of desired gauge and possessing. a certain degree of inherent resiliency. The. rear portion t'aof the counter C issubstantially .straight and extends through 'theloorefi .of the body 1 andinto theslot 4. The extremity of theportionioi the counter Cwithin theslot Ads formed to provide a laterally dis- ;-posed,arm .6 ,of a 'length to extend beyond the outer face of the body I. Carried by the outer or .free extremity ofQthis arm 6 is the button 1, thepouterface of whichlislpreferably concaved.

The .forward or outer end portion 8 0i the. wcounterQ C is normally disposed 'on a gradual curvature and f such urvedpoi tion 8 is of such length that whe n the counter 'q is extended for use, the

pointed extremity 9. is at substantially the axial centeno'f thelwriting implement P or in substantial alignment. With gthe writing point 10 of the ,im'plementlfl k When. the counter Cis not'in use, it can be readily retracted inwardly fbeyond the writing' ,point I 0, off-the implement B fby imposing rear ward. pull on the button I which can be readily done .by :a digit of thje hand holding the impletment P. .Aslthe counter iqis retractedtheinherent resiliencyoi thecounter C, or more particularly-the curved. portion 8 thereof, will allow said portion i8 to readily ride upand along the implement P toe. point inwardly of the writing .point 1-0. When .the; counter C is extended for use; .theinherent resiliency thereof will result -in "the 'same returning the pointed extremity l9 .thereofflnto the position .hereinbefore pointed By havi gthe outer end of the slot '4 open, the application or removal of the counter C with respect to the body I may be readily effected and this is desirable particularly when it is deemed necessary to replace a counter C.

The extent of projection or forward movement of the counter C is limited by contact'of the arm 6 with the inner orclosed end of the slot.

In the event it may be desired to limit the extent of retraction of the counter, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 6 the outer end of the slot H is closed, asat l2, and by contact of the lateral arm M of the ridge counter R, the inward or retracting movement of the counter R will be limited.

The forward end of the body I is provided with 7 a forwardly and inwardly disposed springleaf or arm [5 which contacts with the counter C in a manner to provide 'suilicient friction tonormally hold the counter C against endwise move ment with respect to the body I.

From the foregoing it is though to be obvious that a ridge counter appliance constructed in accordance with my invention 7 is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience the stylus with respect to the body and the' marking implement, and said stylus being lon- ,gitudinally curved through a portion of its length to the end remote from the shank, the curvature of the stylus being towards the longitudinal center of the marking implement and of such extent that When the stylus is shifted forwardly to project the point of the stylus beyond the marking point of the implement, the point of the stylus will assume a position upon the longitudinal centerv of the marking implement beyond the point of the latter.

2. An instrument of the character stated, comprising a relatively long body, means for mounting the body longitudinally upon a carrier such as a pencil, the body having a longitudinally extending recess therein, a relatively long stylus having a straight shank portion slidably mounted in the recess and a longitudinally curved portion extending to the point of the stylus, the shank having a laterally turned terminal portion extendingoutwardly from the slot, a button carried by the shank for engagement by a finger ing from an end of the slot through the body to and through an end of the body, a stylus having a shank slidably extended through said bore,

the shank having a. laterally turned terminal portion lying in the slot and extending outwardly therefrom, said slot and bore extending longitudinally of the carrier when the body is mounted on the carrier, a finger button carried by the lateral extension for engagement by a finger of the hand holding the carrier whereby reciprocal movement of the stylus by such finger may be effected, and resilient frictional means carried by the body and engaging the stylus for maintaining the stylus in a desired position.

4. An instrument of the character stated, comprising a body, means for mounting the body upona carrier such as a pencil, the body having a guide slot formed therein and extending through a portion of its length and a bore leading from an end of the slot through the .body to and through an end of the body,'a stylus having a shank slidably extended through said bore, the shank having a laterally turned terminal portion lying. in the slot and extending outwardly therefrom, said slot and bore extending longitudinally of the carrier when" the body is mounted on the carrier, a finger buttoncarried by the lateral extension for engagement by a finger of the hand holding the carrier whereby reciprocal movement of the stylus by such finger may be efiected, and a resilient finger integral with the body and extending therefrom adjacent to the bore and having frictional contact with the stylus to maintain'the stylus in a desired position.

5. The combination: with a relatively long pointed marking implement, of a stylus having its pointedend arcuate, and means slidably connecting the stylus with the implement for longitudinal movement thereon for the extension of the stylus point to a position in advance of the implement, the stylus being so positioned relatively to the body of the implement when in the first mentioned position as to have its point in the line of'the longitudinal axis of the implement.

6. The combination with a relatively long pointed marking implement, of a stylus having a relatively long shank portion and longitudinally curved at its pointed end, means coupling said shank to the side of the marking implement with the shank extending parallel to the implement and the pointed end of the stylus disposed adjacent to the pointed end of the implement, said coupling means being of a character to facilitate the longitudinal movement of the stylus on the implement to an extent suflicient to position the stylus point in advance of the point of the marking implement, and said coupling means and the degree ofcurvature of the stylus co-acting to locate the stylus point in the longitudinal axis line of the implement when the stylus is shifted to a position to locate the point thereof in advance of the point of the implement.

'7. The combination asset forth in claim 6,

in which the stylus is formed of resilient materia1,'and means frictionally contacting the side of the stylus remote from the marking implement and maintaining the stylus in proper position relative to the marking implement when the stylus is shifted in a direction to bring the point thereof to the stated position in advance of the point of the marking implement.

' NORMAN A. COMPTON. 

